Raju Srivastav bowled over by State’s beauty, cleanliness

SHILLONG: On his first visit to Shillong, stand-up comedian Raju Srivastav was in for a ‘pleasant surprise’.
Srivastav, who was in the city to attend a BSF programme at Mawpat, had forgotten his purse at a shop here on Saturday and had spent a sleepless night fretting over it. However, when he went to the same shop on Sunday morning, the shopkeeper showed him the purse and asked, “Yeh lene aye ho (Have you come to take this?”
Addressing reporters at the BSF’s Mawpat campus, Srivastav lauded the honesty of the people of Shillong besides showering praises on the clean surroundings the city has maintained.
A popular face in Bollywood, Srivastav enthralled the BSF troops with his lively jokes and also praised the soldiers for the service they render to the nation.
“I have come here to entertain our jawans who are responsible for guarding the borders. People of the nation can sleep in peace due to their presence,” Srivastav said. Nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Srivastav observed that Meghalaya has done well over the years as far as maintaining cleanliness is concerned and people from other parts of the country could pick up more than a thing or two from the Hill State on cleanliness.
He was also all praise for the famous tourist spots in Meghalaya and said that he would encourage friends from Mumbai and Delhi to visit the State. “I have heard of Mawlynnong, even the Prime Minister has talked of the place in his speeches. I will visit the place tomorrow,” he added.